Another Life Destroyed by the Foster Care System

I realize that I haven't posted anything on any of my blogs since early June. Since that time, I've received quite a few very nice e-mails from people wanting to know how we are doing. I'm not ready, given all that has happened, to share much about my personal life other than to say we are all doing fine.

What brings me to break my four-month silence are some very disturbing events that have transpired in the life of another blogger. This news is so upsetting, so disturbing and just so damn sad that I simply had to say something about it.

I have been following the RVing adventures of Tioga George for quite some time now. He is a retiree who blogs about his travels in Mexico. Recently, George had to fly home to California for a family emergency.

His family emergency involved his son, a foster parent, who was accused of hurting one of his foster children.

His son committed suicide.

I am just so shocked by this story I can hardly breathe. All I see here is another life literally and completely destroyed by the foster care system.

I've lost count of how many foster and adoptive families, including myself, who have had to bear the burden of false allegations of abuse. Many bloggers have stopped writing and gone silent because of the threat of CPS investigations.

My heart goes out to George and his family. I can't imagine the anguish and grief they all must be experiencing right now.

But I am also disgusted. Once again, the child welfare system has been allowed to run out of control. It accused a good man of doing terrible things, and sent the police over to trash his house, all based on the garbled words of a mentally disabled child.

Child Protective Services is out of control and must be stopped. If you are a victim of your state's child welfare system -- speak out. Write your legislators, talk to the media, and tell your story.

Yes, vulnerable children deserve to be protected. However, the system fails to protect children, does not reunify birth families, and leaves foster/adoptive families holding the bag.

Speak out. The injustice needs to end!